Mark Palmer, Staff Writer
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Wrestling, considered to be the oldest sport, has a new brother, the sport of Grappling.
Earlier this year, Grappling was officially sanctioned by FILA, the organizing body that oversees various forms of international wrestling competition. USA Wrestling quickly followed suit. The very first world championship in Grappling took place in early September in Turkey “¦ with the US team sweeping all nine gold medals.
Grappling 101
Although a new sport, amateur grappling can trace its roots back to long-standing forms of martial arts.
Jason Townsend, one of the coaches for the US World Grappling team — and the one responsible for writing the official FILA World Grappling Committee rulebook for the amateur sport of Grappling — describes grappling as “a hybrid between various wrestling styles and jiu-jitsu — a blend of wrestling and other martial arts.”
“Grappling is a form of submission wrestling, “says Townsend. “There’s no fall. In that regard, Grappling is like jiu-jitsu. Points are scored for a side mount — putting your opponent on their back, similar to nearfall points in amateur wrestling.”
In Grappling, a match is six minutes in length “¦ though, as Jason Townsend points out, at the 2007 US World Grappling Team Trials at Las Vegas (held in conjunction with the US World Wrestling Team Trials in June), “over 50% of the matches ended in submission, with an opponent ‘tapping out.’ ” Matches are contested on regulation amateur wrestling mats.
Grappling is an equal-opportunity sport, with separate competitions for men and women. There are five weight classes for men (136.5, 154, 176, 202.5 and 275 pounds) and four for women (105.5, 121, 138.75 and 145 pounds). In terms of uniforms, grapplers wear what Townsend described as “board shorts/surfing shorts, with UnderArmor-type, tight-fitting, short-sleeve shirts.”
The genesis for Grappling as an amateur sport
“There are professional grappling events already taking place, each with its own set of rules, “explains Jason Townsend. “By establishing an international set of rules, we wanted to not only establish a level of consistency in all amateur-sanctioned Grappling competition around the world, but also provide legitimacy and a level of safety to the competition.”
“For instance, we specified regulation amateur wrestling mats to provide additional safety to absorb competitors when they’re thrown, ” Townsend adds. “I’ve seen some grappling events contested on thin tatami mats not designed for high-amplitude throws, which increases an athlete’s chance of getting injured.”
Randy Couture
“There’s a real hunger for mixed martial arts competition, ” Townsend continues. “Look at the success of pay-per-view events for UFC, Pride and other MMA (mixed martial arts) competition. Look at the popularity of reality TV shows that focus on MMA. And look at all the amateur wrestlers who are now competing in mixed martial arts.”
There’s a long list of top amateur wrestlers who’ve found success in mixed martial arts competition over the years, including early pioneers such as Randy Couture, Mark Schultz, Mark Kerr, Mark Coleman, Kevin Randleman, and Chuck Liddell”¦ and more recent college grads Johny Hendricks and Jake Rosholt (both multi-time NCAA champs from Oklahoma State), and Paul Bradley, an Iowa Hawkeye alum.
“College wrestlers are interested in submission wrestling, “according to Townsend, who, after winning two Maryland high school state titles, wrestled at Syracuse and Hofstra in the 1990s. “It’s part of the warrior mentality.”
Historical perspective
In discussing the new amateur sport of Grappling, Jason Townsend provides a quick historical sketch: “Old-time professional wrestling of a century ago, with guys like Frank Gotch, Farmer Burns, George Hackenschmidt, Joe Stecher and others from the late 1800s and early 1900s, looks a lot like today’s grappling.”
“Back then, a wrestler could win a match by a pin, or with a submission hold.”
“As pro wrestling became more theatrical, submission wrestling took on a new life of its own, as a separate entity. For instance, judo started to be popular in the 1940s; in the past decade or so, various combat arts from Brazil, Japan and other places have emerged onto the world scene.”
2007 World Grappling Championships
The first-ever World Grappling Championships took place in Antalya, Turkey on September 9, 2007, as part of the World Wrestling Games (which also included Beach Wrestling, Sombo, and Pankration).
The US won 21 out of a possible 35 medals
There were a total of more than 100 competitors from fifteen countries at the inaugural event. The US team brought twenty-seven grapplers, and delivered a dominating performance, sweeping all nine gold medals “¦ and winning 21 out of a possible 35 medals.
Earning gold medals in the women’s competition: Lisa Ward (Lacey, WA/United Fight Team) at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., Felicia Oh (Tarzana, CA/JJ Machado/BJMUTA) at 55 kg/121 lbs., Tara LaRosa (Woodstown, NJ/unattached) at 63 kg/138.75 lbs., and Valerie Worthington (Whittier, CA/New Breed/Hollywood Jiu Jitsu) at 72 kg/158.5 lbs.
The US men who brought home grappling gold: Darren Uyenoyama (South San Francisco, CA/Fogtown Jiu Jitsu) at 62 kg/136.5 lbs., Ricky Lundel (Orem, UT/Pedro Sauer Team) at 70 kg/154 lbs., Don Ortega (Albuquerque, NM/No Limits) at 80 kg/176 lbs., Malcolm Havers (Parker, CO/Grapplers Edge) at 92 kg/202.5 lbs., and Jeff Monson (Coconut Creek, FL/Victory Athletics) at 125 kg/275 lbs. Incredibly, in four of the five men’s gold-medal finals matches, both grapplers were from Team USA.
Bob Anderson
“I really think having a training camp and bringing many of our people together really helped, “said Bob Anderson, who, along with Jason Townsend, coached the US World Grappling Team, quoted in an USA Wrestling article about the event. “We didn’t want to just win the championship. We wanted everybody to be the most outstanding they could be, no matter the outcome.”
“The team performed at the highest level against great competition, “said Townsend in the same USA Wrestling story. “All the athletes had tough matches and pulled through with flying colors. This is the beginning of a new era for Grappling. It was a pioneering effort for USA Wrestling. We were excited to be a part of this historic event, and we will work hard to remain a dominant force for years to come.”
Grappling’s future
When asked to look into the future of Grappling, Jason Townsend responded, “We’re expecting thirty countries at the Grappling World Championships next year, “says Townsend. “We’re working towards being a part of the Olympics someday, but realistically there is a lot of work to be done before then.”
Lisa Ward
If the extreme interest in professional mixed martial arts competition is any indicator, Grappling is an amateur sport that is expected to grow, given its appeal to a broad demographic “not just in terms of fans, but competitors as well.
“We think that Grappling has appeal for individuals 18-40 years old, “says Jason Townsend. “Audiences who have been watching MMA events on TV will immediately relate to amateur Grappling.”
“For competitors, Grappling opens doors to athletes who’ve competed in various sports — not just wrestling, but jiu jitsu and other martial arts. Look at all the individuals of all ages who study and practice various martial arts at thousands of schools and studios across the US. There’s a huge potential market for Grappling.”
“And, because Grappling is actually less hard on the body, grapplers can extend their careers beyond what is typical for amateur wrestlers, or even those who compete in Freestyle and Greco competition after college.”
“We’re not trying to take over amateur wrestling, or replace any existing forms of wrestling here in the US, “adds Townsend. “We see opportunities for amateur wrestling and Grappling to help each other flourish and grow, in terms of fan base, and number of competitors.”
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